17 October 2011

The accident

JB in the morning for baby things, Breastfeeding workshop no. 2 in the afternoon and maybe a movie at night.

We set off at 9plus in the morning for JB, reached our destination at 10ish, close to 11. I looked at milk bags and Daddy looked at strollers, it's like a playground for him:

We didn't buy the stroller because we needed to think about it again and we were rushing for time.

Next we went to fix Daddy's car alignment nearby whilst we had a quick lunch. It was 12pm when we were done, Breastfeeding workshop was scheduled at 1pm in Singapore.

Daddy knows, just how much I wanted to go for the workshop and I think it was from that time onwards that the tension started to build up in him, although Mummy told him it's ok, we can be late, just remember safety first.

We were joking happily in the car but Daddy, who want as much as I do to be able to make it for the workshop, was trying his best to get to our destination quickly.

We were lucky with clearing the customs as it was lunch time but not so lucky with the traffic near our destination. It was worse than the customs jam (not sure who so smart, planned road works for a stretch of busy road on a Saturday). By the time we were anywhere close to the destination, it was already 2.30pm and the workshop ended at about 3 pm.

For some reason, I started feeling extremely guilty for not being able to make it for the workshop. It would probably take another 10mins for us to reach the location and 15 mins to get parking space which leaves us with like 5 minutes of the workshop. So I told Daddy, let's not go, I'll ask them for materials and we'll self study.

Daddy, who has been trying very hard to get us there as soon as possible, asked me again right before he switched lane to move elsewhere. I was in a sad / foul mood by then and I said :" I already told you let's not go, why are you asking me again?"

Daddy was upset, I was upset.

We travelled in another direction towards our home. Then I asked Daddy what to do with the parking coupon I had pre-prepared.

He turned towards the east towards mummy's home and said "let's go to your place for a while since the coupons are already prepared, call your mom see where she is"

And so I did. Grandma happened to just get off work and I spent some time one the phone getting her location. Seconds after in put down the phone, Daddy stretched out his left arm all the way to my left shoulder and told me "Be careful, we're going to crash"

I looked in front and saw a distance (about 4-5 seconds away) between us and a yellow cab who had stopped entirely in the extreme right lane. I saw that Daddy had already braked to the max and we were still traveling towards the cab. Next thing I saw was us crashing into the cab and smoke coming out of Daddy's car.

Daddy held me towards the seat but the impact was quite great and we both leaned forward from it. The seat belt wrapped around my tummy tightly and the car stopped moving.

I swear that the last few seconds before we crashed really seemed like it happened in slow motion. I was calm before it happened and shocked right after. And I was thinking about our car insurance. Daddy just had an accident in August and we were due to renew by the end of October.

An old uncle stepped out of the cab. Daddy got off the car saying "this time my insurance jialat already".

I saw him talking to the uncle who looked apologetic. I had s quick look and saw that damage To the cab was very minimal given the impact. Only 2 dents. They had a quick discussion and both drove away.

Daddy told me in the car that the other car was minimally damaged but our car looks like it suffered badly. I called Grandma and told her to go home on her own. Daddy drove to a carpark nearby to check out the damage.

Daddy told me to call Grandpa and ask for his help, so I did. Grandpa happened to be nearby and he arrived shortly after Tan Bear Bear, who also happened to be nearby. We took photos of the damages. Our car was quite badly damaged in front. Dented in with green coolant water dripping onto the floor. Radiator was bent in too:

And then I suddenly remembered I should go find a toilet to check my condition. No blood, no water, redness across my tummy and what looked like bruising and the bruised feeling at the area where the seatbelt held me back during the accident. I felt fine otherwise, just needed to pee. I didn't know better and felt fine so we continued to do what's necessary to settle the accident.

Grandpa gave me some water and Tan Bear Bear asked me to sit in the aircon coolness of his car whilst we waited for the tow car and cab driver.

When the cab driver arrived, I stepped out of the car to take pictures of the cab:

And we heard the driver on the phone saying :"ya, the car banged into me, 100% his fault". I was pissed as can be. Daddy and I both asked the Uncle how he could say that.

I was getting emotional at that point and I told the uncle to touch his conscience when reporting the accident then I asked him if he had any children, how could he say that. If not for him stopping dangerously all of a sudden in the extreme right lane of an EXPRESSWAY, why would we have the accident. He said there was a car which stopped in front of him too and so he stopped, so it's not his fault and we banged into him.

I was so angry and emotional from all that happened that tears started to flow uncontrollably. Daddy cupped my face and asked me to calm down. And I walked away to leave them to settle the rest. So glad that Grandpa and Bear Bear was there to help. I'm certainly not helping.